Blazers Owner Vows to Repair Team Image

Published 7:00 pm, Saturday, April 5, 2003

Portland Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen says he will repair his team's battered image, no matter what it takes.

"Let there be no mistake that unacceptable conduct will not be condoned. Everyone at the Blazers will tackle these issues head-on _ and we are prepared to suspend players, levy heavy fines and trade or release a player if that becomes necessary," he said in a faxed response to questions from The Oregonian.

The Trail Blazers have been beset with several embarrassing episodes this season, from marijuana citations to fights to insubordination.

Most recently, Zach Randolph drew a two-game suspension and $100,000 fine for punching Ruben Patterson in the face during practice.

Also, rookie Qyntel Woods was cited for possession of marijuana last weekend, and veterans Rasheed Wallace and Damon Stoudamire were cited for misdemeanor marijuana possession on Nov. 22.

Wallace was suspended for seven games by the NBA for threatening an official after a Jan. 15 game, and Bonzi Wells was suspended by the team for one game after arguing with Cheeks during practice on March 10.

Patterson was arrested on suspicion of domestic assault on Nov. 25. The charges were dropped, but the Blazers fined him $100,000.

"The community deserves a team of which we can all be proud and I am fully committed to improving the Blazers' conduct on and off the court," wrote Allen, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft.

The public comments in Sunday's newspaper were a rarity for Allen, who usually declines all interview requests.